An ex-lawyer has raised $70 million from VCs to take work away from law firms Wordsmith, an AI startup focused on corporate legal departments, has raised $70 million in new funding, bringing its total to $100 million. The company’s software helps in-house lawyers manage their work, reducing the need to send matters to external law firms. Founder Ross McNairn believes specialized AI solutions are necessary for legal functions, distinguishing them from general-purpose AI assistants.

• Wordsmith, an AI startup, has raised $70 million to help corporate legal teams bring more work in-house.
• The company’s software streamlines contract drafting, legal question answering, and work routing for in-house lawyers.
• Wordsmith focuses exclusively on serving corporate legal departments, eschewing law firms to avoid conflicts of interest.
• Founder Ross McNairn, a former lawyer, transitioned to tech and was inspired by OpenAI’s technology to build Wordsmith.
• The legal tech market is heating up with competitors like GC AI and contract-focused startups.
• McNairn argues that general-purpose AI assistants like Claude cannot replace specialized legal management software for functions like work routing and record-keeping. Continue reading https://www.businessinsider.com/wordsmith-ai-for-corporate-lawyers-70-million-series-b-2026-6